Akon to bring electricity to 600 million Africans with launch of solar power academy

Senegalese R&B singer Akon is launching a solar power academy(Reuters)

After conquering the charts and helping to launch the career of stars including Lady Gaga, Akon is now focusing his efforts on providing sustainable living options to people in Africa.

The Senegal-born singer has vowed to bring electricity to 600 million Africans after launching a solar academy as part of an initiative called 'Akon Lighting Africa'.

The charity claims the academy, located in Bamako, Mali, will help engineers and entrepreneurs from all over the continent develop skills that will enable them to promote the production of solar power.

It hopes that graduates from the academy will bring go on to deliver solar energy to millions of people in rural communities across Africa.

Samba Bathily, who co-founded Akon Lighting Africa with Akon and Thione Niang, said taking advantage of natural resources in a continent that gets 320 days of sunlight a year makes sense.

"We have the Sun and innovative technologies to bring electricity to homes and communities. We now need to consolidate African expertise," he told Reuters.

"We expect the Africans who graduate from this centre to devise new, innovative, technical solutions. With this academy, we can capitalise on Akon Lighting Africa and go further."

Akon's philanthropic efforts have ready garnered the support of thousands of fans as well as fellow musician Snoop Dogg, who slammed mainstream media for focusing on Caitlyn Jenner's public debut as a woman instead of Akon's solar power announcement.

"Shout out to Akon! He is about to supply 600 million African with solar power," he said in a post on Instagram. "I'm really upset that this isn't major news but that science project Bruce Jenner is #society."